How to simulate user sessions and cookies in PHPUnit?

To simulate user sessions and cookies in PHPUnit, you can use the PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase class. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do this:

Create a new PHPUnit test case class by extending PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase.

use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;

class MySessionTest extends TestCase
{
    // ...
}

Use the setUp() method to initialize session and cookies.

use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;

class MySessionTest extends TestCase
{
    public function setUp(): void
    {
        session_start();
        // Set your desired session values
        $_SESSION['user'] = 'John Doe';

        // Set your desired cookie values
        setcookie('theme', 'dark', time() + 3600);
    }

    // ...
}

Use the tearDown() method to destroy the session and clear cookies.

use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;

class MySessionTest extends TestCase
{
    public function tearDown(): void
    {
        session_destroy(); // destroy the session
        $_SESSION = array(); // clear session variables

        // Clear the cookie by setting an expiry time in the past
        setcookie('theme', '', time() - 3600);
    }

    // ...
}

Write your test methods to test session and cookie functionality.

use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;

class MySessionTest extends TestCase
{
    // ...

    public function testSessionValue()
    {
        // Access the session value and assert its correctness
        $this->assertEquals('John Doe', $_SESSION['user']);
    }

    public function testCookieValue()
    {
        // Access the cookie value and assert its correctness
        $this->assertEquals('dark', $_COOKIE['theme']);
    }
}

Run your PHPUnit tests as usual.

phpunit MySessionTest.php

By following these steps, you can simulate user sessions and cookies in PHPUnit tests. Remember to properly set up and tear down the session and cookies to ensure the correct behavior of your tests.